Press releases

Knorr-Bremse showcases climate-compatible rail technology on the train to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris

November 26, 2015 [Knorr-Bremse Group]

On Deutsche Bahn’s special “Train to Paris”, Knorr-Bremse is to present its portfolio of climate-compatible energy-saving products. German Federal Minister of the Environment Barbara Hendricks will be traveling in climate-friendly style on Deutsche Bahn’s special train to the 21st UN Climate Change Conference where the 194 Parties aim to reach a new agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

In the coach given over to the “Pro-Rail Alliance” Knorr-Bremse will be presenting its trailblazing climate-care solutions that help the already resource-efficient railways to be operated in an even more energy-efficient and thus climate-compatible way.

These include the driver assistance system iCOM Assist that helps drivers operate their trains as energy efficiently as possible. Based on its knowledge of the track topography, the composition of the train and its scheduling, the driver assistance system computes an energy-optimized run and makes appropriate recommendations to the driver. This enables the absolute energy consumption to be reduced substantially. In this way the system makes a valuable contribution to improving the environmental balance sheet and helps make rail transport more competitive than ever.

The energy-saving portfolio also includes modern HVAC systems from Merak and Sigma, both subsidiaries of Knorr-Bremse. Thanks to ingenious control engineering, these systems constantly adapt the intake of fresh air to the actual number of passengers. If there are not many passengers on board, the system cuts its fresh-air intake, thereby reducing the volume of air to be heated or cooled. As a result, the energy consumption of the HVAC system is reduced without any loss of comfort for the passengers.

Ideal energy distribution within the train is handled by auxiliary power converters from Knorr-Bremse, which owing to the use of innovative materials are highly efficient, light and compact. The energy metering system iCOM Meter registers and records the actual energy consumption of the train in real time. On the one hand this enables the railway operator to check their electricity bills precisely. And on the other hand the operator can use this data to identify further potential for saving energy.

In addition, through its new subsidiary Selectron Systems AG Knorr-Bremse has expanded its portfolio of environmentally compatible systems. With its more than 100 employees, Selectron develops sophisticated solutions for the automation and control of rail vehicles and by optimizing sub-system networking can also help cut energy consumption.